GOOD KARMA HYDRATION

It was a typical St. Louis July evening at the Red Lantern Night Market, hot and humid. Time for some hydration with blessings. The dress suggests to me that the figure is female, not the big guy. When I zoom in on the beverage container I see lettering that says Las Vega… S? N? Either one would be interesting.                         

 

DELICATE

The orchids seem somehow solid yet fragile, intensely beautiful but transitory. Perhaps a lesson in Buddhism.            

PANDEMIC IN SPRINGTIME - TRANSIENCE

Everything changes, nothing is permanent. This, too, will pass. I only hope that we all come out okay on the other side.            

Om . . .

Exiled Tibetan monks on stage at the International Festival in Tower Grove Park.  It seems almost sacrilegious to call it a performance. It seemed even worse to amplify their sounds and play them through huge loudspeakers. My reaction is influenced, I'm sure, by having had the great privilege of visiting some of their brothers back home. 

It was too hot and too crowded to shoot for long. May try to get back there when it opens this morning.                      

Buddha at Barney's

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New Yorkers all know Barney's, a men's fine clothing store. They moved to swanky quarters in Midtown a number of years ago but those of my generation remember the original store at 7th Avenue and 17th Street in Chelsea. That building stood vacant for a number of years but in time was transformed.

The space is now the Rubin Museum of Art, concentrating on the Himalayas and surrounding regions. It's breathtaking if you are interested in that sort of thing. Being old Nepal and Tibet hands (to give ourselves generous credit), we were sucked right in.

As best I understand, these images are not of the Buddha, although he is the foundation of the exhibits. The top photo is the protective goddess Tara. The second is of a Bodhisattva, a person who has achieved Enlightenment but chooses to be reborn, helping the rest of mankind along the path. The bottom one is probably a senior monk. It does not have the Buddha's characteristic hair-do and the big guy's ear lobes are much longer. The hand gestures are telling. The right hand is in the earth touching pose, calling on the earth itself to witness the truth of Buddha's teachings. The left hand makes a gesture of peaceful relaxation.

In any event, we think it's a don't miss. We plan to return when we are back in the NY area in July.

STL DPB On The Road: Tibetan Temple Offerings

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The opulence of Tibetan Buddhist temples is a sight to see. They are often more ornate than the most Baroque European cathedral. The faithful leave offerings in Chinese yuan but we also saw U.S. dollars, Euros and once Argentine pesos.

This picture reminds me a bit of a 17th or 18th Century still life. I'm knocked out with jet lag, sort of staggering through yesterday at the office. People at work are telling me to get back to reality. But which one is or was my reality, Tibet or St. Louis?

CDPB Monthly Theme Day: Paths and Passages

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Geez. Another existential dilemma. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants following paths all around the world.

WHAT'S THE BIG EVENT TONIGHT: no, not the Stupid Bowl, uh, I mean Super Bowl. On a Sunday evening every winter, America stops in its tracks during the National Football League championship game. Many people go to parties with huge screen TVs to watch it. The nation is transfixed by the sport, the extravagant commercials and lavish half time shows, sometimes featuring Janet Jackson's nearly naked breast. Not us. My wife and I think football is horrifying, made up, as it is, of violence, sex, hype and glitz. For 25 years or more, we go have always gone out to dinner on this night. If the restaurant is open, you get the best table and finest service. It's our own private Stupid Bowl party.

TOMORROW: maybe something from the Stupid Bowl party, if there's anything to take a picture of (we're going for Indian). If not, a little more winter stuff. Oh, and a new Arch photo on Gateway.